County wants answers about MEDSTAR shutdown

Lee County leaders are demanding answers after the NBC2 Investigators exposed a $3-million billing issue may be behind the sudden shutdown of the MEDSTAR helicopter program.

"That's why I used the term 'cover-up' that I don't think I've ever used before," Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann said.

MEDSTAR was grounded on August 21. EMS officials told NBC2 they wanted to apply for critical care accreditation, but we found tens of thousands of dollars have already been spent to train employees in the way the accrediting agency calls for.

EMS administrators have told us the accreditation calls for a critical care nurse to be aboard the helicopter, but the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems also allows for critical care trained paramedics as a substitute. At least ten paramedics with EMS have already been trained.

The helicopter is grounded and the questions of why it was grounded are still unanswered.

"They're in a hole, and they keep digging. Where I come from, if you're in a hole, put the shovel down," fired pilot Arnold McAllister said.

McAllister says the shutdown was a convenient way for his former managers to clean house.

"They keep spinning the story. Is it about national credentials? Is it about the right mix of pilots and paramedics? Is it about billing? What's it going to do now? What's going to be the story now?" McAllister said.

McAllister isn't the only one asking for answers. The FAA will be in town to investigate, and hundreds of people have signed an online petition on www.savemedstar.org calling for Lee County Commissioners to get involved.

"I've been kept in the dark for a long, long time about something the County Commission should have known about," Mann said.

NBC2 uncovered EMS has spent $41,327.15 over the past six years to train paramedics in critical care. We also calculated the cost to train pilots during that time amounted to $237,674.65. Those pilots were fired when the program was shut down.

"We have millions, millions invested in this program, and now the solution for some internal problems is to shut it down completely? That makes no sense at all," Mann said.

EMS officials told NBC2 via email "Our goal is to rebuild to national accreditation standards for critical care transport. Accreditation is voluntary and it is a goal we want to achieve. There are two levels of accreditation, one with the crew configuration of critical care nurse/paramedic, and one for paramedic/paramedic. We want to rebuild with the nurse/paramedic configuration because of the interfacility transfers that we do."

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